Wikijunior:South America/Suriname

Part of Wikijunior South America project

Suriname (officially the Republic of Suriname (Dutch: Republiek Suriname)), is the smallest and least populated country in South America (French Guiana is smaller but is not a country).



What is Suriname's History like?
Native Americans first moved to Suriname in 3000 BC. The largest tribes were the Arawaks, a nomadic coastal tribe that lived from hunting and fishing, and the Caribs. Other smaller tribes lived further into the country, in the rainforest.

The first Europeans who came to Suriname were Dutch traders who visited the area along with other parts of the South America's coast. In 1630, and again in 1651, the English tried to settle the area. But the two English settlements were conquered by the Dutch in the 1660s.

What is Suriname's Geography like?
Suriname is the smallest country in mainland South America.

What are Suriname's people like?
Suriname consists of Javanese who first arrived in that country during the Dutch colonial period. Indians settled in that area as laborers in a plantation and they were borrowed from the neighboring country Guyana which at that time was a British colony. African slaves were also brought to Suriname and formed a new group of people called Maroon. Several Chinese entered the country as well.